Off the Beaten Path Bali: Four Quiet Regions Worth the Drive

If you want off the beaten path Bali, stop looking for single secret spots and choose a region instead. Four are worth the long drive: the Sidemen valley in the east, the Amed and Tulamben coast, the Munduk highlands in the north and Pemuteran in the far northwest. Each needs at least one night, and none of them has a beach club. Single quiet places near the south are covered in our post on Bali's hidden gems, so this one stays with regions and does not repeat those places.

Where are the quiet places in Bali?

Mostly in the east, north and west, a long way from the airport. Rough distances by car from Bali Airport: Sidemen about 2 hours, Amed about 3 hours, Munduk 3 to 4 hours, depending on traffic. Pemuteran is the furthest, and the time varies a lot with traffic, so ask your driver or check a map app on the day.

Is Sidemen valley worth staying in?

Yes, if you want slow mornings and walking, and no if you want nightlife. Sidemen is a quiet farming valley in Karangasem, about a 75-minute drive east of Ubud, with rice fields, small villages, rivers and Mount Agung in the distance.

Stay at least two nights. The valley feels different early and late, once the day-trippers have gone, and many restaurants close early. Walking between the paddies is the main activity, and the road through Iseh towards Besakih is a pretty approach. Sidemen is also known for songket, a ceremonial cloth woven with gold or silver thread. Several weaving shops sit along the main road, and some offer demonstrations, so look for the signs. Rafting on the Telaga Waja river starts at Muncan, and one guidebook rates it class IV, so it is not an easy first trip. If you only have a day in the east, our Candidasa tour works in the same part of Karangasem.

What is there to do in Amed and Tulamben?

Snorkel straight from the beach, dive a famous wreck, and watch salt being made. Amed is a string of quiet fishing villages with black sand beaches on the east coast, with Mount Agung behind them. It is about 3 hours from the airport, and our Bali Airport to Amed transfer starts at $45 per person.

The Japanese Wreck in Banyuning Bay lies a few metres below the surface and can be seen with just a snorkel. Nobody knows what ship it is. Access is through a beach restaurant, which charged IDR 25,000 including parking, a drink and showers in one recent guide, with mask and fins at IDR 25,000 each. Jemeluk Bay is a calm crescent that suits snorkelling too. The Amed Salt Centre is free to visit, and Amed salt has Geographical Indication status. For sunset, our place page for Amed Sunset Point gives the viewpoint.

Tulamben is the next village along. The USAT Liberty, a US Army transport torpedoed by a Japanese submarine in 1942, lies 25 metres or so from the shore in about 30 metres of water, with the top about 5 metres down. That makes it reachable with a short swim, and it suits divers of all certification levels. Up to 100 divers a day descend in high season, so book early in the day. The Tulamben beach is large smooth stones, not sand, so bring water shoes. The calmest months for diving are October and November, and from May to July.

Why go to Munduk?

For waterfalls and cool air. Munduk is in the mountains of Buleleng, noticeably cooler than the south, with a higher chance of rain, and evenings can be chilly. It is about 3 to 4 hours from the airport.

The Munduk waterfall trek links four falls: Golden Valley, Red Coral, Labuhan Kebo and Melanting. All four takes 3 to 4 hours with a lot of steep stairs, so you need decent fitness. You can also visit them one by one. Red Coral is the easiest, about a 20-minute walk each way, and charged IDR 45,000 for adults plus IDR 2,000 parking in one recent guide. Golden Valley is a 15-minute zig-zag down from the road, with a small cafe overlooking the valley. Melanting is the tallest and the hardest, with a few hundred steep steps. Several falls are nicknamed "Munduk Waterfall", which confuses online reviews, so use the full names. Our place page for Munduk Waterfall and the twin lakes of Buyan and Tamblingan are nearby. Our Bedugul tour lists Munduk Waterfall as an optional stop, and the hiking side of the area is in our trekking guide.

What is special about Pemuteran and Menjangan Island?

It has snorkelling that several guides rate among the best in Bali, plus a reef restoration project you can swim over for free. Pemuteran is a small town in northwest Bali, next to West Bali National Park, which was established in 1941 and covers about 190 square kilometres.

Menjangan Island, whose name means deer, is inside the park and can only be reached on an organised boat trip. Boats leave from Banyumandi harbour about 10 km west of Pemuteran, or from Labuhan Lalang and Teluk Terima, and the trip takes about 5 hours with two snorkelling stops. The park fee is IDR 200,000 for foreigners on weekdays and IDR 300,000 on weekends and public holidays (two sources agree). Some operators include it in their price and others do not, so ask. Ranger offices open at 8:00, and arriving then gets you in before the wind picks up. There can be plastic in the water at times, as in much of Southeast Asia. The Biorock project is free to snorkel, about 50 m from Pemuteran beach, which is the cheaper alternative. Pemuteran and neighbouring Banyupoh also have unusually colourful temples.

How do I connect them in one trip?

Take them as bases, in this order, and let a driver handle the long legs. A route of about seven nights would run 2 nights in Sidemen, 2 in Amed with a Tulamben day, 1 or 2 in Munduk and 2 in Pemuteran. Amed to Munduk crosses the island through the mountains, so treat it as a full travel day. Lovina sits on the north coast between Munduk and Pemuteran, and our Lovina Dolphins tour starts at dawn from the beach if you want to break the drive.

What should I pack and book ahead?

Pack for three climates. Munduk needs a light jacket and shoes with grip for wet steps, Tulamben needs water shoes for the stones, and Pemuteran needs sun protection and your own snacks, because you cannot buy anything on Menjangan Island. Carry cash everywhere. Waterfall booths, park offices and small warungs in these regions often take cash only, and cash machines get scarce away from the main towns.

Book snorkelling and diving trips at least a day ahead, since boats to Menjangan leave early. Check the weather before the Munduk trek, because the stairs turn slippery after heavy rain. And do not try to see all four regions in one week unless you are happy to spend most of it in a car.

If you want this route driven and timed for you, send us your dates and which regions you want through our contact page and we will plan the legs.